An extremely downbeat story, with one miserable episode after another, but always with a glimmer of hope for Gervaise. She's a Cabiria-like character, independent yet achingly vulnerable, and played expertly by Maria Schell (the rest of the cast is quite fine as well). It's also the best-looking Clement film I've seen yet, with the dingy Paris streets coming to life with naturalistic lighting and a roving camera. A powerful and engaging film.